


we were not misunderstood

by likewinning



Category: Batman (Comics), DCU (Comics)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Retail, M/M, the one with all the jealousy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-02
Updated: 2016-02-02
Packaged: 2018-05-17 18:21:56
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,186
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5880982
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/likewinning/pseuds/likewinning
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Just try not to scare him off, okay?"</p>
            </blockquote>





	we were not misunderstood

"He's not so bad, y'know," Roy says. He and Dick are hanging out at Dick's place, doing shots of violently blue vodka that's already made their mouths blue.

"I mean," Roy says. He takes the ponytail holder out of his hair and shakes his hair out. "Yeah, he's old and stuff, but it's not like…"

"Right," Dick says. He knows he's been kind of terrible about the whole thing, that he's _always_ terrible to Jason's boyfriends - but with good _reason_. There was the dude who got busted for dealing coke at the food court, and the girl who kept trying to get Jason to change his hair color, and -

"I'm gonna meet him," Dick decides after another shot. "I'm gonna call Jay right now and tell him -"

Roy plucks the phone out of his hand. "Steady, man. It's two in the morning."

"Okay," Dick says. "So I'll shoot him a text." He stares down at the keypad on his phone. The letters have all turned into a blur. He looks back up at Roy. "Um. A little help?"

 

*

 

"So," Jason says the next day while they're both counting their tills. "You want to meet my buff friend?"

Dick scowls. "Goddamn voice to text. _No_." He bangs open a roll of quarters and looks back over at Jason. "I want - I wanna meet Bruce."

Jason blinks at him. He looks sleepy and happy, the way he used to when they were kids and he'd wake up curled up in Dick's arms, safe and warm. "Yeah?" he asks.

"Yeah," Dick says. "I know I've been… But he's important to you, Jay, and _you're_ important to me."

"Aww, Dickie," Jason says. He finishes counting, then smiles at Dick. "Of course you can meet him. I'll bring him to the club tonight."

"You sure he won't be up past his bedtime?" Dick teases. Jason grabs a handful of Dick's dimes and spills them on the floor, and Dick figures he deserves that.

"Just," Jason says a little while later, as they're opening the gates in front of the store. "Try not to scare him off, okay?"

Dick doesn't say anything. By now, he's not sure that's something he can promise anymore.

 

*

 

"Remind me again what I'm doing here," Bruce says later that night. He and Jason are sitting in a booth waiting for Dick, each nursing beers. Admittedly, the music is terrible tonight, and loud, and the whole place smells like it's been drenched in tequila.

"Well," Jason says. He presses against Bruce's side. "There's the part where you're totally obsessed with me."

Bruce raises an eyebrow. "Totally?"

"Oh, totally," Jason says, grinning. "I mean, there are so many pictures of me on your phone it's almost _creepy_ , Bruce."

"And you were looking at my phone because…"

Jason bites Bruce's shoulder. "Because I wanted to leave you dirty pictures, of course," he says. Bruce laughs, and Jason shifts to get a better look at him. "Look, I know after… everything, you probably have a bad impression of him, but he's -"

"Wading through the crowd, if I'm not mistaken," Bruce says.

Jason turns around, and sure enough there's Dick, tilting his head up to try to find them. Jason gets out of the booth and meets him halfway. Dick's dressed in his usual club wear: a black t-shirt tight enough to show off his abs and jeans that show off his perfect ass.

Jason pulls him into a hug and murmurs, "Thanks for coming," into Dick's ear.

"Of course, Jaybird," Dick says. "Besides," he adds, pulling back and grinning. "You guys are paying for drinks tonight, right?"

Jason laughs and leads Dick back over to their booth. "Bruce," Jason says. "This is Dick. Dick, Bruce."

Bruce stands up and shakes Dick's hand, but then Dick goes one further and pulls Bruce into half a hug. Bruce looks startled, and Jason can't help but laugh.

"Sorry," Jason says, "forgot to warn you he does that."

Bruce grunts, and Dick lets him go, looking not at all apologetic. "It's nice to meet you, man," Dick says.

"Yes," Bruce says. They all sit down, Jason tucked into Bruce's side. "I've heard quite a bit about you."

"Ooh," Dick says. He steals Jason's beer and flags the waitress down for another two. "That doesn't sound like all good things. You didn't tell him about the stolen car, did you, Jay?"

Jason chokes. "No," he says. At Bruce's questioning look, he says, "It's a long story."

"But a _good_ one," Dick says, flashing his bright white teeth. He rambles on with the story about the time they accidentally stole a car in the mall parking lot that looked just like Dick's. They only got away with it because the cop who pulled them over took one look at Dick, multicolored hair and half a dozen piercings and all, and decided he was too pretty for a ticket.

By the end of the story, Jason and Dick are both snickering, but Bruce just laughs stiffly. "It sounds like even then you got away with everything," Bruce says.

"Uh," Jason says. He decides now is a good time to finish his beer and start on another.

"So," Bruce says to Dick. "You and Jay went to highschool together?"

"Yep," Dick says. He tips his beer back. "I mean, we met when we were kids, but I told my adoptive parents they _had_ to let me go to Jay's school still." Jason feels himself blush. It was more Jason being a co-dependent, clinging _mess_ , but - "I mean," Dick says, "how else was I gonna pass my classes without Jason's big brain?"

Jason snorts, kicks Dick under the table. "Asshole," he says. Dick makes a kissy face at him and looks back at Bruce.

"I always had to make him dumb down my English papers for me. I mean, one time he used _thus_ , Bruce. _Thus_! For a high school paper!"

They're both laughing again, but Bruce is still smiling tensely beside him, and Jason -

"He makes it sound terrible," Jason tells Bruce. "Dick looked out for me."

"I tried my best," Dick agrees. "Jay was tiny, but _scrappy_. I cleaned up so many bloody noses -"

"Iced so many black eyes -" Jason adds.

"And then there was the broken _wrist_ ," Dick says. "Man, I nearly killed that guy."

"Glad you didn't," Jason says, meaning it.

"Aw, Jay," Dick says. He reaches across the table and ruffles Jason's hair, and Bruce - clears his throat.

"Sorry," Dick says, pulling back. "Habit."

"That's all right," Bruce says, but something in Jason that's been itching to get out since Dick _got_ here says, "You don't gotta apologize." He grabs Dick's wrist, looks over at the dance floor and asks, "You wanna?"

Dick looks non-plussed, but when Jason squeezes his wrist harder, Dick says, "Like you really have to ask," and winks.

Jason gets up and looks down at Bruce, whose jaw is _twitching_. It's the kind of look that sort of makes Jason want to get between his legs under the booth and _suck_ until he can feel it in the back of his throat, but - "You don't mind, right?" Jason asks.

"No," Bruce says. He sharply, showing his teeth, and Jason almost sits back down, but - "Have fun."

They stop at the bar first, and in between downing a couple of sticky-sweet shots, Dick asks, "Everything okay, Jaybird?"

Jason almost lashes out - he hates that Dick always _knows_ \- but. "Yeah," Jason says. "He's just being a jackass. Never seen him do that before."

Dick frowns. "You think it's me? You know, I can go if -"

"No," Jason says. He squeezes Dick's hand. "You're dancing with me."

He tugs Dick out onto the dance floor, maneuvering through the crowd until they're near the center. Dick wraps his arms around him from behind and they find their rhythm, just like they always do.

Jason remembers the first time he saw Dick dance, the first time he _felt_ the way he moves. They were fourteen and at some party. Jason got too anxious about all the people, strangers most of them, so Dick led him upstairs to an empty room, pressed against Jason and showed him how to swivel his hips to the music coming from downstairs, how to _move_ until Dick was all he could think about.

He thinks, maybe -

"He's handsome, y'know," Dick says, lines his fingers up with Jason's ribs. "I know he's good to you, even if he hates _me_."

"He doesn't hate you," Jason says. He grinds back against Dick, and Dick rests his hand under Jason's shirt. "He's being an ornery _fuck_ right now, but that doesn't mean -" Jason turns around, wraps his arms around Dick's neck. "You're my best friend, Dickie. Now grind up against me like we're Roy and Tim on eight tons of ecstasy."

Dick throws his head back and laughs, and Jason thinks briefly about licking the sweat from his throat, but Dick does what he says. He grinds against Jason and they move together like they've always been able to, through a couple of songs until there's a hand on his shoulder and a voice near his ear.

"Jason," Bruce says. He looks - his eyes are _dark_ , and Jason can't help but shiver for it. "Can I talk to you for a moment?"

Jason _thinks_ about it, but Dick shoves him from behind, so Jason says, "Yeah. Fine." He looks back at Dick. "You good?"

"Of course, Jaybird," Dick says. "Hey, I'm gonna go find out what's under that girls sequins."

Jason snorts. "You report back on that."

Dick winks at him and slides through the crowd easily until he's dancing with the girl in question.

"Okay," Jason says, and Bruce takes hold of his wrist, squeezing tight. He parts the crowd with his sheer size alone, and Jason follows him to the men's room. Bruce drags him into a stall without a word, locks it behind them and _shoves_ Jason against the wall, fucks his tongue into Jason's mouth. When he pulls back, he doesn't look angry anymore so much as - vulnerable.

"Holy shit," Jason says. "You're actually _worried_."

"What?" Bruce asks.

"You actually think…" Jason laughs, and he knows by Bruce's flinch that it comes out wrong. " _Bruce_."

"I…" Bruce says. He clutches Jason's hips the right side of too hard, and Jason licks his lips. "The way you talk to each other. The way you _look_ at each other..."

"Speaks of years of living in each other's pockets, Bruce." When Bruce doesn't look convinced, Jason tilts his head up and licks Bruce's mouth, bites down hard on his lip. "Look," he says. "I was in love with him, okay? It fucked me up for _years_. But if it was gonna happen, it would've already, and - and I'm with you now."

"But…" Bruce starts, and Jason's never _seen_ him look so uncertain.

"No," Jason says. He wraps his arms around Bruce's neck. "He missed his chance, Bruce. I don't _want_ anyone else." It's maybe not strictly true, but he doesn't want anyone else as _much_ , and that's close enough.

"But the way he touches you," Bruce says. His eyes are dark again, and he gets his hand under Jason's t-shirt, hot skin warming him right up. "As though you're _his_."

Jason licks his lips. "You think you wanna prove him wrong?"

" _Yes_ ," Bruce says, and Jason unbuckles Bruce's belt, shoves his jeans and boxers down and does the same for himself.

"So do it," Jason says.

"Jay…" Bruce says. Jason reaches down and pulls the slick out of his pocket, hands it to Bruce. "Come on," he says. "I'm yours. So _show_ me."

Bruce preps him fast, not quite enough, so there's still a slight burn when Bruce turns him around and pushes _in_. They both grunt for the friction, and Bruce pauses until Jason says, " _Now_ , Bruce."

The stalls rattle with how hard Bruce fucks him, and Jason pounds the wall with his fists, reaches back and scrapes his nails on Bruce's hips. Bruce's breath is hot on his neck, and he bites Jason's shoulder, his neck, his _throat_.

"God, yeah," Jason says. "That's it. Mark me _up_ , Bruce, make me -"

Bruce _growls_ and puts his hand on Jason's mouth. "You're mine," Bruce says.

" _Yes_ ," Jason says. His dick is leaking all over and he wants to touch himself, but not as much as he wants Bruce to do it for him.

"No one else's," Bruce says. "They can touch you all you want, but they should always know you're _mine_ "

Jason whines, throws his head back and clenches, and Bruce thrusts hard and fast until he completely loses his rhythm and then he comes, shouting into the back of Jason's neck.

"God," Jason breathes. Bruce pulls out and drops to his knees, and Jason whimpers for the loss until Bruce starts licking the come that drips from Jason's thighs. He licks and sucks at Jason's ass until Jason's a sweaty mess, until Jason feels like he might _cry_.

"Bruce," Jason says. " _Please_." He doesn't even know what he _wants_ , but Bruce seems to. He turns Jason around and swallows his dick, hums around him and Jason gives up on not making noise, gives up on doing anything but _screaming_ as he comes down Bruce's throat.

He doesn't pull Bruce up, just sinks down to the dirty floor. They're both panting and sweating, and Jason leans his forehead against Bruce's, kisses his eyelids and the top of his lip. "You good, B?" he asks.

Bruce shudders. "Yes," he says. "I think so. Jay, I - I'm sorry I acted so -"

"Crazy? Possessive? Like an asshole?" Jason teases.

"Well," Bruce says. He drops his gaze, but Jason tilts his chin up.

"I've been there, man. Ask Tim sometime. But Dick is my best friend, and he's not going anywhere. Are you?"

"No," Bruce says. He brushes his clean hand through Jason's hair, gently now, and kisses him. "I'm sorry," Bruce says again.

"Don't be," Jason says. "It's kinda nice having someone get so crazy about _me_ for a change."

Bruce laughs. "I am that," he says. 

"Yeah," Jason says. "Me too. Now come on. Let's go pull Dick off whatever skank he's found this time."

They actually find Dick back at the bar, three more drinks in and perfectly cheerful. "Hey," Dick says, beaming at both of them. "You know what I was thinking about while you were gone?"

Jason takes the seat next to him, and Bruce stands behind Dick in case he falls off his chair. "No," Jason says. "What's that, Dickie?"

"There should be a bar," Dick says, "With, like, gymnastics equipment. That way no one gets yelled at for doing handsprings on the dancefloor."

Jason chokes. "Dick," he says. "We've _talked_ about that. You know, how it makes people nervous?"

"Handsprings?" Bruce asks.

"Dick was in the circus," Jason says. "Which he likes to remind people of, especially when he's drunk."

"I had a pet elephant," Dick says happily.

"I know you did, buddy," Jason says. He stands up and wraps his arm around Dick. "Bruce and I are going to take you home, okay?"

Dick's eyes light up. "I get to sleep in the big scary mansion?"

Bruce looks horrified.

"Uh," Jason says. "Not this time, Dickie. How about we just get you back to your apartment?"

Dick lets them lead him until they reach the door, at which point Dick breaks free of Jason's grip to do a couple of drunken-but-perfect flips.

"See, Bruce?" Dick asks. "I've got a million dollar idea here. Don't you wanna fund it?"

Bruce looks like he's trying _really_ hard not to laugh. "I'll… consider it."

"Cool," Dick says. They pile into Bruce's car. "And then I can get a mansion too, and we can be mansion buddies…"

He dozes off a few minutes later and doesn't wake up until they get to his apartment. Jason helps him upstairs, even joins in when Dick starts singing Britney Spears down the hallway.

Once they're inside, Jason leaves Dick in Tim's hands who is, for once, actually sober. At least Jason thinks he is, because who can read Maupassant drunk?

"I'll see you tomorrow, Dickie," Jason says. Dick shouts _something_ from a Disney movie at him and blows him a kiss.

 

*

 

The next day, Dick's standing at the counter bitching about the stupid guy at the Starbucks who keeps drawing dicks on his cups while he lets Tim paint his nails. "And he has a _stupid_ haircut," Dick says, just as Bruce walks into the store.

"He's not here," Dick tells Bruce. Now that he's sober, and a little hungover, Dick's feeling a little less friendly toward him.

"I know," Bruce says. "I wanted to speak with you."

Tim looks up at Dick, and Dick shrugs. "Sure," he says. "Tim, watch the front. We can go in back," he says to Bruce.

Bruce follows him to the back of the store, and Dick crosses his arms. "Well?"

"I…" Bruce clears his throat. "I came to apologize. For last night. I had no intention of making you uncomfortable. You're very important to Jason and I acted… well…"

"Like a dick?" Dick suggests. Bruce opens his mouth, but Dick holds up a hand. "Relax," he says. "I think we were both ready to hate each other. Me 'cause you took Jay away from me, and _you_ because… well… I'm a threat, even if I don't mean to be."

Bruce takes a breath. "Jason assures me you have no intention of…"

"No," Dick agrees. His chest hurts saying it, but he knows it's true. "Jason's my world, but not - I couldn't make him happy. Not like you have."

"I very much doubt that," Bruce says. He smiles, and for a second Dick kind of sees the fascination. "But thank you."

"Sure," Dick says. He holds out his hand. "Friend?" he asks.

"Yes," Bruce says. He shakes Dick's hand, and they head back to the front of the store, where Tim is arguing with a small child about which Sailor Scout is the best one.

"Oh god," Dick groans. "Hey, Tim." He gets in front of Tim and says, "Bruce says he _really_ wants you to paint his nails."

"Er -" Bruce starts, and Dick mouths _please_ behind Tim's back. "Yes. I'd like that."

Tim beams at him and pats the counter. "Step right up," he says. "Do you prefer glitter? Or glitter?"

 

*

 

"This," Jason says hours later at the food court, inspecting Bruce's multi-colored, glittery nails, "is the handiwork of one Tim Drake." He looks up at Bruce. "Did you go to my store without me?"

Bruce laughs. "Dick didn't tell you?"

"Tell me what?" Jason asks.

"We've decided to be friends now. For you."

Jason rolls his eyes. "That's what I've been asking for all _along_." He leans across the table and kisses Bruce. "But thanks."

He pulls back, then says, "This doesn't mean you're investing in the gymnastics bar, does it?" Bruce laughs. "Because that's a _dumb_ pun, and -" Bruce laughs harder. It's _still_ not an answer.


End file.
